Willie Penrose (Westmeath, Labour)
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Question 414: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the steps she will take to deal with correspondence (details supplied) furnished to her Department in order to ensure that this person is afforded an opportunity to continue farming; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8918/06]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The person named applied to be considered as a new entrant to farming during the reference period 2000-02 governing the single payment scheme. Following processing of his application, he was notified that his application was unsuccessful as he was farming during all of the three reference years 2000, 2001 and 2002. The applicant was advised that if he so wished, he could appeal my Department's decision to the single payment appeals committee. The person named requested that the decision be reviewed by the single payment appeals committee. The recommendation of the committee was to uphold my Department's decision in this case.

The person named submitted an application for an allocation of entitlements from the single payments scheme national reserve under categories A, B and D. Category A caters for farmers who inherited land or received land free of charge or for a nominal sum from a farmer who had retired or died by 16 May 2005 and who had leased out his or her holding to a third party during the reference period 2000-02. Category B caters for farmers who, between 1 January 2000 and 19 October 2003, made an investment in production capacity in a farming sector for which a direct payment under livestock premia and-or arable aid schemes would have been payable during the reference period 2000 to 2002. Investments can include purchase or long-term lease of land, purchase of suckler and-or ewe quota or other investments. Category D caters for farmers who commenced farming after 31 December 2002 or commenced farming in 2002 but who received no direct payments in respect of that scheme year.

It should be noted however that the rules governing the single payment scheme stipulate that an applicant who is found to be eligible under more than one category in the reserve may only receive an allocation of entitlements under whichever category is most beneficial to him. Over 23,000 applications for an allocation of entitlements from the national reserve were received when account is taken of farmers who applied under more than one category. Processing of these applications is continuing and the intention is to make allocations to successful applicants at the earliest opportunity. My Department will be in touch with individual applicants as soon as their applications are fully processed. Formal letters setting out my Department's decision will be issued.

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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Question 415: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food when a single farm payment will be made to a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8948/06]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The person named submitted an application under the single payment scheme on 27 April 2005 to activate and use his entitlements. He also submitted applications for consideration in respect of the consolidation of entitlements, force majeure and inheritance measures of the scheme.

The application to consolidate the applicant's entitlements was initially rejected on 19 October 2005 as there was no indication at that time of a requirement for the person named to consolidate. The person named had declared an eligible hectare for each entitlement held at that stage. Payment in respect of 23.02 entitlements amounting to €7,709.45 was issued to the applicant on 1 December 2005. Following the successful applications for the inheritance and force majeure measures, the requirement to consolidate entitlements was reviewed by my Department. This has brought the total established entitlements by the person named to 47.21. A supplementary payment of €15,128.33 in respect of the outstanding entitlements has issued to the person named today.